Spencer Castro (Sonora HS 2007, Stanford 2011; UC Merced) follows The Conning Tower

Spencer Castro is entering his first season as the inaugural cross country coach at UC Merced.

The 2011 Stanford University graduate developed his interest in coaching as a counselor at Stanford’s Nike Camp of Champions, while running for Stanford cross country and track and field teams. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology and Society.

In 2011, as a senior, Castro contributed to Stanford’s Mountain Pacific Sports Federation indoor track and field championship with a fifth-place finish on the anchor leg of the 1,600-meter relay. He also helped the Cardinal to a fourth consecutive win over rival California at the Big Meet with a third-place finish in the 800, and he helped the 1,600 relay team place 22nd during Stanford’s sixth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

In 2010, Castro participated in a cross country season that led to a Pac-10 cross country championship for the Cardinal, but he competed in only one race during the track season due to injury.

Castro placed 13th in the 800 at the 2009 MPSF Indoor Championships with a career-best run of 1 minute, 52.77 seconds. As a freshman, he finished 26th at the MPSF Championships in the 400, ran a collegiate-best time of 49.40 seconds in the 400 at the University of Washington Invitational, and ran season outdoor bests in the 200 (22.86) and the 400 (50.69) at the Davis quad meet.

While at Sonora Union High School, Castro helped capture the 2005 Sac-Joaquin Section team title, then took the 2006 section titles in the 800, 1,600 and 1,600 relay. He also helped Sonora to second place in the 2006 cross country section meet and was named Athlete of the Meet at the Gold Rush Elite Invitational that same year.

Castro is a native of the Yosemite foothills, northeast of Merced. He is also a research associate, conducting interdisciplinary research with faculty in the Cognitive and Information Sciences program in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, with an eye on graduate school in the future.
http://www.ucmercedbobcats.com/roster/9/3/12.php

Courtesy University of California, Merced

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Here is what he wrote on my blog.

About me
I am a student at Stanford University and am looking forward to graduating in June. I run on the Track and Field and Cross Country Teams here, and will be graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Science, Technology, and Society. My family and extended family tend to live and work around Yosemite National Park because my father and his brothers and sisters are descendants of the original inhabitants of Ahwahnee. They claim both Paiute, of the Eastern Sierra, and Miwok, of the Mariposa area. As Southern Sierra Miwok becomes a moribund language, and the two or three speakers left age well into their 90's, it is well past the time to preserve and spread our existing knowledge of this culture. Currently our tribe is seeking federal recognition from the BIA, and my family is helping to build a traditional village upon the site of my father's, grandfather's, and great-grandfather's home in Yosemite Valley. Also, faculty at the University of California Merced plan to create a virtual interactive replica of the original village with my ancestors as avatar guides through their home. I hope to document the process and spread awareness for preservation of the true history of Yosemite Valley.

Links
Wahoga Village Beginnings-
http://wahogavillage.blogspot.com/

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Origin of the Word Yosemite — What does Yosemite mean? Naming ...
Jul 10, 2011 ... Ahwahnee originally referred to the largest and most powerful Indian village in the valley (located 1/2 mile west of Yosemite Village and south ...

www.yosemite.ca.us/library/origin_of_word_yosemite.html - Similarto Origin of the Word Yosemite — What does Yosemite mean? Naming ...
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Spencer Castro

Class:
Senior

Hometown:
Groveland, CA

High School:
Sonora

Height / Weight:
5-10 / 145

Event:
Middle Distances


Collegiate Career Bests:
400 Meters: 49.40i
800 Meters: 1:52.77i


At Stanford: Provides depth to a deep and talented group of middle-distance runners.

2010 Season (Senior): Ran a season best outdoors of 1:54.71 in the 800 meters at the Stanford Opener.

2009 Season (Sophomore): Placed 13th in the 800 meters at the MPSF Indoor Championships with a career-best run of 1:52.77 ... finished eighth at the Big Meet in the 800 ... finished eighth in his section (1:54.67) in the 800 at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational.

2008 Season (Freshman): Finished 26th at the MPSF Championships in the 400 meters ... ran a collegiate best time of 49.40 seconds in the 400 meters at the UW Invitational ... outdoors, ran season bests in the 200 meters (22.86) and the 400 meters (50.69) at the Davis quad meet.

High School: Captured the 2006 Sac-Joaquin Section titles in the 800 meters, 1,600 meters, and the 4x400 meter relay ... helped his team to second-place in the Division III section meet in cross country ... named the Gold Rush Elite Invite Athlete of the Meet.

Cardinal Catalogue: Science, technology and society major, interested in medicine ... parents are Charles and Colleen Castro.

http://www.gostanford.com/sports/c-track/mtt/castro_spencer00.html

Courtesy Stanford
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Keith Conning: Spencer Castro (Sonora) placed sixth in the 2007 Sac-Joaquin Section Masters 400 meters final in 50.15. He was third in the prelims in 49.53.

2007 Sac Joaquin Section Masters Track and Field Trials and Finals
Event 8 Boys 400 Meter Dash
# Name Year School Prelims H#
Preliminaries
1 Gray, Roman SR Laguna Cr Sj 48.82q 3
2 Gix, Kianti 12 Rio Amer Sj 48.82q 2
3 Castro, Spencer 12 Sonorasj 49.53q 2
4 Howard, Durawan 11 Grantsj 49.68q 3
5 Dawson, Brandon 11 Fairfieldsj 49.72q 1
6 Bajwa, Gurvinder 12 Yuba Citysj 49.95q 1
7 Jackson, Asa JR Ch Brthrssj 49.98q 3
8 Fiedor, Caleb JR Gldn Vllysj 50.53q 3
9 Womack, J'carroll 12 Bc 50.61q 1
10 Brown, Ian 11 Golden Sierrasj 50.68 2
11 Rideout, Michael JR Valleysj 50.72 3
12 Anderson, Kirk 12 Ripon Sj 50.73 2
13 Tyler, Shon 11 Sacramentsj 50.85 2
14 Brown, Cameron JR Edison 50.86 1
15 Martin, Daniel JR Monterey Trails 51.00 3
16 Martinez-ramos, Abdiel 11 Est Unionsj 51.36 3
17 Durant, Nick 11 El Caminosj 51.41 2
18 Corbett, Jon SR Galt Sj 51.47 1
19 Batteate, Nicky 10 Oakdalesj 51.77 3
20 Beale, Robert SO Pitman 52.18 2
21 George, Jason Dixonsj 52.79 1
-- Flemons, Alan 11 Lin FS 1


Event 8 Boys 400 Meter Dash
# Name Year School Finals Points
Finals
1 Gray, Roman SR Laguna Cr Sj 47.97
2 Gix, Kianti 12 Rio Amer Sj 48.81
3 Dawson, Brandon 11 Fairfieldsj 49.47
4 Bajwa, Gurvinder 12 Yuba Citysj 49.55
5 Howard, Durawan 11 Grantsj 49.91
6 Castro, Spencer 12 Sonorasj 50.15
7 Jackson, Asa JR Ch Brthrssj 50.89
8 Fiedor, Caleb JR Gldn Vllysj 50.92
9 Womack, J'carroll 12 Bc 51.41